Colm Smyth, Fionn Mac Cumhaills Dallas hails from Abbeylara, Co Longford. Colm has represented his club and a county at all levels to Under -21 as well as representing Dublin City University in Inter-University Competition. Colm’s favoured position is half forward but he plays mid field for Fionn MacCumhaills where he is noted for his high fielding and accurate kicking.

Ciaran Doogan

Born and raised in Dublin, Ciaran attended Bishop Galvin primary school and Templeogue College secondary school. His parish and local GAA club is St. Jude’s, in Templeogue on the south side of the city. Despite the fact that Gaelic football was by far the biggest sport in our Parish, I never actually played it at any organized level while growing up. Mostly Ciaranplayed soccer and a little bit of hurling in primary school. At 15 years of age he joined Dundrum South Dublin Athletic club, and discovered what was ultimately his main sport, distance running. Ciaran went on to win two All Ireland U/18 titles, one in cross-country and one in the 1,500 meters. He then earned an athletic scholarship to Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Later, he transferred to UT-Arlington, where I won two Southland Conference Titles in the 5,000 meters. As soon as the GAA club started in Dallas, I knew I wanted to involve myself, even though I had a limited background in the sport. It’s a great group of players. I greatly enjoy the matches and training, and try to learn from the lads with much more experience than myself. My favorite position is really anywhere in the forward line – half or full forward. It has been wonderful to see the growth of the club and the games in Texas.

The Wild Geese Soldiers & Heroes celebrates Men of Action. Those individuals who, like the original Wild Geese, show a fighting spirit, courage and commitment. Just as these MVPs from The Wild Geese Texas Championship have shown on the field.

The only Gaelic sports club in North Texas, Dallas Fionn MacCumhaill’s (Finn McCools) is a vibrant and rapidly growing sports and social club catering for all men and women interested in fun active sports and a lively social life! Their mission is to build the foundation for an open and inclusive member focused sports and social club, promoting Gaelic games and a lifelong community in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

Dallas Fionn MacCumhaill’s has a men’s and a women’s Gaelic football team both of which compete in the Wild Geese Texas Development League.In 2012 Dallas travelled to Philadelphia for the National Championships and narrowly lost out on the divisional title losing only by one point with the last kick of the game. However this was an immense showing from a young team who is only getting stronger and growing into a force in Texas GAA.

Houston Fenians Gaelic Athletic Club is the most recent additional to the Wild Geese Texas Development League founded in October 2011. Since that time the club has grown fast and boasts over 50 players on its roster. The club plays homage to its local roots by wearing navy jerseys with red and white trim similar to the Houston Texans NFL team and also sports a derrick in its club crest and silhouetted into the background of its jersey in reference to the oil industry and the old Houston Oilers NFL team from the past.

In its first year as a fully affiliated GAA club the Houston Fenians won their first game against Dallas and made the finals of the inaugural Wild Geese Texas Development League where they narrowly lost out to a vastly more experienced team in the Austin Celtic Cowboys. 2013 has been another successful year where Houston plans to bring its team to the North American GAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio Labor Day weekend.

The Celtic Cowboys Sports & Social Club was formed in 2004 in Austin, Texas. The club has been steadily growing it’s sporting acumen and now boasts 6 Men’s soccer teams, Gaelic football and hurling teams, a Ladies Gaelic Football Team, 4 youth soccer teams and a golf society which includes the annual extravaganza “The Celtic Cowboys Ryder Cup”

The Men’s GAA team played its first game in 2006 in San Diego, CA and attended its first National Championships in 2007. In 2008 and 2010 Austin Celtic Cowboys claimed National Gaelic Football Titles putting Austin and Texas firmly on the Gaelic Football map in North America. In September 2011 an Austin/Dallas combined hurling team won the National Divisional title in San Francisco. In 2012 Austin Celtic Cowboys won the inaugural Wild Geese Texas Development League with a perfect record of four wins from four games and with that lifted the Adrienne Hussey Memorial Cup.

San Antonio Gaelic Athletic Club were founded in 2011 with a mission to spread the Irish culture in Texas through the playing of Gaelic Games. During its inaugural year the club grew in both skills and numbers. With a dedicated Board of Directors and a goal for sharing the Irish culture with South Texas, the future is bright for San Antonio’s “San Patricios” Gaelic Athletic Club. In September 2012, San Antonio traveled to Philadelphia for the National Championships and came away with the Divisional Shield Championships. A stunning achievement for a Nationals debutant, San Antonio defied the odds to win through in Sunday’s final and take home its first ever piece of silverware.